Chapter Six: Amelia
It was six in the morning on Saturday and Amelia’s phone was ringing. She tried to ignore it, cursing herself for not putting in on silent, but it just kept ringing. Over and over and over again.
Finally, Amelia gave up trying to ignore it. She hoped that whoever was calling was dying because otherwise they were going to be very, very sorry.
“Hello?” she growled into the phone as she pushed her hair out of her face.
“Good morning sunshine! This is your wake up call.”
“Grayson!” Amelia snapped. Would his torture never end?
“That’d be me,” Grayson sounded far too cheerful for a Saturday morning. Didn’t he have something better to do with his time? Wasn’t out drinking till four AM or something of that matter? Or was he still awake from the day before?
“What do you want Grayson?” Amelia was sitting up now. She glanced at Sylvie’s bed to find it unmade. Yet another issue that Amelia would have to deal with. “And how did you get my phone number?”
“Your roommate Sylvie,” Amelia could hear the smile in Gray’s voice.
“I’ll have to remember to kill her later,” Amelia replied.
“Anyway,” Grayson went on, “I was wondering what you’re doing tonight?”
“The Sigma Nu party,” Amelia reminded him. “And even if I wasn’t going I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be hanging out with you.”
“That hurts Amelia!” Grayson laughed. “Well maybe I’ll just have to suck it up and join you. “
Amelia groaned. The last thing she wanted was to be bothered by Grayson when she was trying to impress the girls from Omega Pi. “Come on Grayson, give it up. I don’t want to go out with you. Don’t you have anyone else that you could be bothering?”
For a moment, Grayson didn’t say anything. Then, “Not entirely. You’re about the prettiest girl I know right now. And bothering you is highly enjoyable.”
Amelia sighed. Obviously she wasn’t getting through Grayson’s thick skull. And, come to think of it, maybe he could be helpful to her. He just didn’t need to know why she was suddenly okay with him being there.
“Fine,” she said, closing her eyes and hoping her plan wouldn’t entirely backfire on her. The last thing she needed was Grayson Appleby thinking he’d be able to get in her pants, “you can come along. You just cannot do anything to screw up me impressing Omega Pi. Understood?”
“Um, no,” Grayson’s voice still held a smile and Amelia knew that he knew that she was trying to play him. “What’s in it for you? I mean, obviously I know what’s it in for you,” Amelia could practically see Grayson licking his lips, “but what do you think?”
“I’m hanging up my phone now Grayson,” Amelia warned as she sat up. Now that she was awake she knew she wouldn’t be able to fall back to sleep. She pushed her sheets and comforter back and slowly got out of bed, wondering where Sylvie could be.
“How about this,” Grayson began, becoming a little more serious, “I agree to be on my best behavior at the party. And if I am, you agree to go on a date with me.”
Amelia groaned. “How about this,” she walked into the sitting room and flopped onto the couch, careful not to tip over a cup of water that someone left on the table, “you come to the party and I pretend like I don’t know you? I don’t know why you can’t take no for an answer but it’s not going to work with me. I’m not like every other bimbo you go after. And I’m not in the mood for playing games.”
Again, Grayson was quiet. Meanwhile, Amelia picked the half full glass of water up, figuring that it had to belong to one of her roommates. While Grayson contemplated what she had said, she took a big gulp of water.
“UGH!” Amelia spat the drink out, immediately jumping up and dropping her phone. The glass fell to the floor and rolled under the table, spilling the rest of its contents.
“Amelia?” Grayson voice was muffled and Amelia grabbed for the phone.
“I can’t talk,” Amelia began, wishing she had something to cover up the taste in her mouth. “I need to find my roommate.”
“Why?” now Grayson sounded almost concerned. Maybe that was the word for it?
“Because,” Amelia began, already knocking on Jac’s bedroom door, “the glass that I just drank out of was definitely not water. I’m pretty sure it was straight vodka. And I need to figure out what Sylvie is up to. Now.”
***
The morning came and went with no sign of Sylvie. Amelia was worried but with Jac gone to her afternoon work shift, Amelia figured there wasn’t a whole lot the two of them could do. She’d tried calling Sylvie’s cellphone all day but it was off. Amelia could only hope that Sylvie would show up at the part so that they could talk.
Meanwhile, Amelia was unsure what to do about Grayson. He’d called back later in the morning, apologizing for calling so early and asking about Sylvie. He seemed genuinely concerned, something that surprised Amelia, and she wondered if maybe there was more to him than the facade that he put on.
In any case, Amelia relented and told Grayson she’d see him at the party. It was a free country, after all. And although Amelia didn’t want to give Grayson Appleby false hope, she couldn’t help but sit in front of her closet, trying to find just the right thing to wear to not only impress the Omega Pi girls but also Grayson.
It didn’t take long for Amelia to get ready and when she was she surveyed herself in the full length mirror that she and Sylvie had found together in a vantage store. She wore her favorite dark blue Lucky jeans and a simple gold studded empire waist black top. On her feet she opted for gold ballet flats. Finally, she let her auburn hair out of it’s clip, dapped on a touch of lip gloss and she was set to go.
Although she still told herself that Grayson wasn’t who she was after, she couldn’t help but hope that he’d at least take a look. Or two.
A moment later, Amelia’s phone went off. Glancing at the ID, she answered gratefully.
“Please tell me you’ve heard from Sylvie,” she demanded of Jac.
“That’d be a positive,” Jac replied over the background noise. “I guess she slept at some guy’s place. What is wrong with her? Does she even go to class anymore.”
Amelia sighed, happy that at least Sylvie was alive. “No idea,” she said. “Is she at least coming tonight? Maybe if we gang up on her we can talk some sense into her.”
“She said she was,” for a moment the background noise got louder. Amelia heard the creak of a door opening and when it slammed shut she could hear Jac much better. “I just got done with work here, it’s been a madhouse. I guess people much be getting their caffeine rushes before they drink tonight.”
With a glance at her watch, Amelia realized that if she didn’t leave she’d miss walking to the party with her possible future sisters. “Hey Jac, I have to run,” she said. “I’ll keep my phone on, call me when you get to the party and we’ll meet up, okay? We definitely need to figure out this Sylvie mess.”
“Will do.”
With that, Amelia grabbed her purse and was out the door.
***
Amelia was having a hard time remembering that she needed to look out for Sylvie.
When she’d arrived at the sorority house drinks had already begun. The girls were ready to party and Amelia played along. Despite trying to drink as slowly as possible Amelia could already feel the effects of the alcohol she’d had and the only thing at the front of her mind was seeing Grayson.
Why does he do this to me? Amelia asked herself. He’s a troublemaker. He just wants to get me into bed. He’s not worth it.
The problem was that Amelia couldn’t help herself. There was something about Grayson Appleby that she liked. And part of her wanted to have him. That was dangerous.
Arriving at the party, most of the girls rushing Omega Pi stayed together. The house was huge, the party was already well under way and the alcohol was definitely flowing. Immediately, Amelia began to glance around the room, wondering if Grayson was already there. She didn’t have long to wait.
“Hi.”
Amelia jumped, nearly screaming. The voice came from behind, right next to her ear. She whirled around and found herself looking into Grayson’s gray eyes.
Laughing, Grayson stepped back, giving Amelia room. He looked her up and down, his smile widening. “Cute,” he commented.
With a glare, Amelia took a step futher from Grayson. “Cute? I’m better than cute, actually.”
Shrugging, Grayson replied, “Maybe, but you’re not going to get compliments acting like that.” He glanced around for a moment, his eyes narrowed. “Is this really your scene? You seem a little too classy.”
To Amelia, this sounded more like a jab than anything else. She didn’t like Grayson’s games. Taking the beer that one of her sister’s was offering her, Amelia opened her mouth and gulped it down, hoping to show Grayson that she was at least a little tough.
The beer was awful. It tasted like what Amelia imagine pee would taste like. She steeled herself against the taste, praying she didn’t do something dumb like spit it out.
This time Grayson rolled his eyes. “Not you,” he said almost angrily. “Really Amelia, I thought you were better than that.”
Now Amelia was really mad. “Excuse me?” she demanded. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Come on Grayson, you’ve been tailing me. I know you want me. So here I am already. Just admit you want me so we can move on.”
“Not worth it,” Grayson said softly. Amelia had to step forward to hear him over the party.
“Excuse me?” Amelia demanded. She stepped even closer and now they were face to face again. Grayson was calm and Amelia mad. She couldn’t believe he was going to pretend like nothing was going on.
“Look, I thought we were supposed to be looking for Sylvie,” Grayson changed the subject and started to step away.
Amelia stepped forward again, still in his face. “We will after we settle this,” she explained.
“Amelia it is not the time or the place,” taking her shoulders, Grayson tried to steady her. “Later. When you haven’t been drinking. When you aren’t so angry.”
“No now!”
Feeling like a child, Amelia wished that she could stop herself. It was as if she was standing outside her body, screaming at herself to stop. The problem was that when Amelia’s anger took over there was no stopping her.
Pushing herself just a little closer, she felt Grayson’s hands go from her shoulders down to her waist. And with her hand tangled in his dark curls, Amelia pulled Grayson down to her until his lips met hers.
Within a second the kiss was over, almost like it hadn’t happened. Grayson moved away. Without a look back, he strode out the front door.
Still standing where she was, Amelia watched as the door slammed close.
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Chapter Five: Jac
Who is OddlyEnuf?
That’s what Jac was thinking as she slowly made her way to Wired for her opening shift with Leslie Parker, a sophomore majoring in accounting at Aldridge and also one of the assistant managers. Although Jac loved the quiet of the morning, she hated having to be at the store by six AM to open the doors.
Today, though, Jac welcomed the alone time. The anonymous poster, whose screenname was OddlyEnuf, had been posting comments on her blog for quite awhile now and while Jac wasn’t exactly scared, she was curious. It almost seemed at if he (or she) knew her in real life. But at the same time, why would this person, if they knew Jac, choose to remain anonymous on her blog.
Jac approached Wired to find that Leslie was arriving at the same time. They mumbled their good mornings, both still half asleep, and entered the coffee shop together.
While Leslie counted the safe and got the back room in order, Jac slowly started the brewed coffees, set up their morning bakery and got the front of the store in order. By 6:30 AM Wired was ready for business.
Friday mornings, like today, tended to be slow as a lot of the students seemed to skip their Friday morning classes. It gave Jac a break that she needed to sip her coffee and chat with whichever coworker she happened to be paired with.
“You seem to have picked everything up really quickly Jac,” Leslie commented as she leaned against the counter. She was playing with one of the rags and staring outside as if willing customers to come in. A slow morning made everything seem to drag.
Jac nodded. “It helps that I had such good training,” Jac thought of Oliver and smiled. In the short time she’d been working at Wired she and Oliver had become friends. Jac almost never had a klutzy moment now that she knew Oliver a little better; he didn’t make her quite as nervous.
With a wink, Leslie replied, “Oliver has that way with women,” she giggled. “God, hard to believe he’s single, huh? He’s so cute!”
Blushing, Jac didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to admit that since the first night she’d met Oliver, she had a little crush on him. She definitely didn’t want rumors to start circulating.
“Are you going to the frat party tomorrow?” Leslie continued talking. “I heard it’s going to be insane. Crazy stuff is always happening over there, I’m surprised it hasn’t been shut down yet. Last year they busted a bunch of kids for some kind of huge drug possession.”
“My friend is thinking of joining Omega Pi,” Jac explained, “so I’m going along to support her. Although personally, I don’t get the point of frats and sororities.”
Leslie began to add something when I customer entered the store. Jac busied herself behind the bar as Leslie got the man a small coffee and a donut. When she was done and the customer had left, she turned back to Jac.
“You should be careful at that frat house,” Leslie’s voice was quiet even though they were the only two in the store. “Some bad thing have been happening over there lately.”
Narrowing her eyes, Jac’s hands immediately began to tug at her pink hair, a nervous habit. “What kind of bad things?” she asked, wondering if she should be worrying about Amelia.
Shaking her head, Leslie replied, “I probably shouldn’t be saying anything. It’s just rumors I’ve heard. I’d rather not start trouble.”
“Okay well should I be worried about my friend?” Jac was a little angry with Leslie; why say anything if she wasn’t going to tell Jac exactly what was going on?
Shrugging, Leslie said simply, “I’d just watch out if I were you.”
***
When her shift at Wired was over, Jac headed back to the suite. She’d wanted to hang around and wait for Oliver to come in for his shift but she also didn’t want to appear as if she had a crush on him. So instead she pretended as if nothing at all was going on.
Entering the suite, Jac found that it was quiet. Figuring that both Sylvie and Amelia were at classes, Jac pulled her laptop from her bag and booted it up. While she waited, she turned on the TV and flipped channels, tugging at her hair and worrying about what Leslie had said. Should she tell Amelia? Nothing that bad could happen, there’d be so many people there.
When her laptop was ready, Jac immediately clicked on her blog to see if anyone had left any comments. In among the normal ones, there was also one from OddlyEnuf.
Jac ~ What’s your favorite color? Is it pink, like your hair? Or something more sinister? Do you hide behind your hair? Or is that supposed to show us part of who you really are? ~OddlyEnuf
Jac scowled at the screen. What did that even mean?
Pulling up the screen for a new post, Jac began to type.
To whom it may concern,
I’ve never tried to hide behind anything, although I guess you could call me a liar since I sit behind this screen and blog about my life. But I’ve always tried to be a straight to the point kind of individual and I’ve always valued honesty from others.
My hair has nothing to do with anything. Like a lot of people my age, I get bored easily and one nice thing about hair dye is that you can always change it when you get bored. Currently, my boredom has lead me to pink. Tomorrow? Who knows. We’ll see.
I have to say that you don’t have much of a right to call me out considering that you hide behind a lame screenname and can’t even be man (or woman?) enough to tell me who you really are. You obviously know at least a little bit about me and you must know me in person because I’ve never blogged about my hair being pink.
Maybe before you judge people you should think about your own actions.
Love,
Jac
P.S. My favorite color is blue.
When she was done rereading the post, Jac smiled in satisfaction and published it. She hoped maybe this would strike some kind of cord in whoever was leaving the comments and maybe they’d reveal who they were.
For some reason, Jac was hoping she wouldn’t scare whoever it was off. She kind of liked the game they were playing back and forth. And she was definitely very curious to find out who OddlyEnuf was.
Hearing a noise in Amelia and Sylvie’s bedroom, Jac turned away from her computer.
Who on earth could be home? Jac asked herself. I thought they both had class.
“Ames?” Jac called towards the closed bedroom door. “Syl?”
Jac heard a crash followed by a giggle and then a deep voice. A minute later the door opened and a boy that Jac had never seen before stumbled out.
“Oh sorry,” the boy grinned at Jac sheepishly. “Didn’t realize anyone was here, she said no one was due back for awhile. Um, see you around.”
He then unceremoniously left the suite as Jac sat in stued silence, sure her jaw must have hit the floor.
For a moment, Jac tried to make sense of what had just happened. She then jumped up and hurried to the bedroom, wondering if something had happened to one of her friends.
The room was dim except for a small lamp that was next to Sylvie’s bed. And in Sylvie’s bed was Sylvie, partially covered by the sheets and definitely naked.
“Syl?” Jac asked, afraid of what Sylvie might say.
Sylvie giggled. “Yes?” she asked.
Sitting on the corner of Sylvie’s bed, Jac pulled the comforter up over her friend. “You okay? I thought you had class.”
“Cancelled,” Sylvie giggled again and Jac couldn’t decide if she’d been drinking or not.
“Okay…” Jac wasn’t sure what else to say.
“We didn’t do it,” Sylvie erupted in giggles this time, burying her head under the comforter. “We were just fooling around.”
“Have you been drinking?” Jac didn’t want to ask that question but she didn’t know what else to say.
Peeking over the comforter, Sylvie replied, “Maybe a teensy bit.”
“It’s barely noon,” Jac was definitely tugging at her short hair now. She’d never seen Sylvie like this. Sylvie was always so put together, so good at doing everything right. Jac couldn’t understand what Sylvie was doing. Sure, maybe college was a little weird for Sylvie but she’d always excelled at everything. What was wrong with her?
For a minute Sylvie said nothing. She’d pushed the comforter down her chin and was almost glaring at Jac. “Look,” she said, and this time her tone was serious, “I’m just kind of not in the best mood, okay? I just wanted to have a little fun, okay? So excuse me if I was goofing around and having some fun, okay Jac? Seriously what is with you and Amelia. You both need to back off!”
Holding up her hands, Jac got off Sylvie’s bed and began to back out of the room. “Whatever you say Sylvie,” she was almost to the door. “I get it, I do. But if you need to talk or anything, I’m always here, okay?”
“Whatever,” Jac could barely hear Sylvie’s muffled reply because she’d stuck her head back under the comforter.
Closing the door, Jac stood for a moment and wondered what on earth had gotten into her friend. And did she dare tell anyone? Did Amelia know?
Before she could do anything, Jac’s cell phone rang. Momentarily forgetting about Sylvie, Jac dug through her backpack until she found the small silver phone with Oliver’s name displayed across the front.
“Hello?” Jac immediately smiled.
“Hey good looking,” Jac could sense the smile on Oliver’s face and wished that he’d been serious about that comment.
“Yes Oliver?” her smile growing bigger, Jac knew that whatever Oliver asked she’d probably say yes to.
“You want to work a double today?” Oliver asked and Jac could hear noise in the background. Oliver was at Wired and he’d probably been left high and dry. Again. “You’d be working with me.”
It was the proverbial carrot in front of her. “Sure,” Jac turned her laptop off and put it back into her bag. “I’ll be over in a few.”
Without another glance at Sylvie’s door, Jac headed out of the suite and back to Wired.
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Chapter Four: Amelia
Amelia was currently enjoying her alone time.
She’d been going for a walk, trying to clear her head and trying to figure out what exactly was going on with Sylvie.
There was definitely something wrong with Sylvie. The night before, Amelia had come home late. She’d been at the Omega Pi house, meeting some of the sisters. She still wasn’t sure whether Omega Pi was for her but she wanted to make an informed decision.
When she’d arrived at the suite, she found that it was dark. Jac, she knew, was working a double and Wired was open pretty late. Sylvie was usually out on a date and so Amelia assumed she had the suite to herself. She turned on the TV in their common room, made some popcorn in the microwave and sat down to enjoy some late night TV.
Minutes later, the door to one of the bedrooms slammed open and Sylvie walked out. She was in a tank top and shorts, her hair a tangled mess.
“Oh,” Amelia immediately turned down the TV, feeling bad for waking up her roommate. She knew that Sylvie was having trouble waking up on time and she didn’t want to contribute to that. “I’m sorry Syl, I didn’t realize you were home.”
“S’okay,” Sylvie murmured. “I have such a headache Ames.”
“I have some Tylenol,” Amelia offered. “Maybe you just need to go back to sleep.”
Sylvie slumped down on the couch next to Amelia and took a handful of popcorn. “No, I think I’ll stay up.”
There was something very wrong. Amelia smelled alcohol on Sylvie’s breath. But Sylvie didn’t drink.
“Syl what’s up?” Amelia turned the TV off and turned to her friends. “Have you been drinking?”
Giggling, Sylvie replied, “Maybe a little. I was out with that boy. The senior.”
“Steve?” Amelia was mad now. “Did he bring you back here? Are you okay? How much did you drink?”
Sylvie stood back up. Amelia could tell that she couldn’t have had too much; she seemed to be walking okay and talking okay. Not enough to get her into trouble. “I’m fine,” Sylvie said, heading back to the bedroom. “Steve’s fine. We’re all fine. Leave it Ames.”
Shaking her head, Amelia smiled. Maybe Sylvie was learning to loosen up. One could hope.
***
It had been a long day. Amelia felt as if classes were never going to end and all she really wanted to do was go to Wired for a very strong latte. She was meeting Jac there to try to talk her into going to the party on Saturday; it seemed as if they’d been missing each other all week and Amelia wanted to make sure Jac was coming.
When she arrived at Wired Amelia found that she was early. She didn’t recognize the barista behind the count; obviously Oliver had the day off too. She ordered her usual, a medium skim sugar free vanilla latte but asked for an extra shot of espresso in it as well. Then she sat down at a table, pulled out her I-pod and opened a book.
In only a few minutes Amelia felt a tap on her shoulder. Jac was early! She pulled her headphones off and turned to find Grayson Appleby standing behind her.
Since their first meeting in the cafeteria Amelia hadn’t seen Grayson again and she figured he’d leave her alone. No such luck.
“What?” Amelia asked, decided that Grayson didn’t warrant any politeness.
Grayson grinned and sat across from Amelia. “Oh come now, Amelia, you can be nicer than that!”
“You figured out my name,” Amelia said, slightly impressed. “How’d you do that?”
“You come here sometimes to visit Jac,” Grayson explained, his grin growing bigger. “So I came in when you weren’t here and asked about you. She seems like a good friend, acting all protective of you. She’s kind of cute too but I don’t go for pink hair. I prefer red.”
Amelia pretended to gag. “Exactly how long did it take you to come up with that line?” she asked. Grayson spilled sugar onto the table and began making designs in it with his finger. But he never took his gray eyes off of Amelia. Secretly, she kind of like it. But the look also scared her a bit.
“Look,” Amelia began when Grayson didn’t say anything, “I’m not really interested, okay? I have a lot on my plate and the last thing I need is some trouble maker trying to screw up my life.”
For a moment Grayson’s eyes narrowed but then the grin was back on his face. “Oh come on, I could be fun,” he joked. “You don’t know until you try. What are you up to this weekend?”
“I’m going to a party,” Amelia decided not to tell Grayson which one. The last thing she needed was to have him following her around. There was something about him though…
“Not a frat party!” Grayson groaned. “I thought you’d be smarter than that! What would you want with a bunch of frat guys?”
“It’s not really any of your business, is it?” Amelia knew he had a point though. She been hanging around the Omega Pi house long enough to know that none of the frat boys interested her.
At that moment, Jac walked into Wired. Seeing Amelia and Grayson, a huge smile lit up her face. When Grayson noticed her, his smile got even bigger.
“Grayson Appleby,” Jac greeted him warmly, as if they were old friends. “What are you doing bothering my best friend?”
“You’re the one that gave him my name,” Amelia glared at Jac. “What if he’s some kind of stalker?”
“You’d probably like it,” Grayson joked.
“Okay Gray, how about you get off that chair and let me chat with my friend?” Jac suggested, pushing Gray over. Amelia watched the two banter back and forth for a minute and wondered what was up between them; it was almost like they were old friends.
“You should talk her out of going to that frat party Jac,” Grayson said, not even paying attention to Amelia. “In fact, you both should come to my place instead.”
Jac rolled her eyes. “You wish Gray,” she retorted, sliding into the chair that Grayson had vacated. “Syl and I was going to support Amelia, she’s got it into her head that she wants to join a sorority.”
“Can you leave now?” Amelia was getting tired of feeling left out. And she didn’t like Jac and Grayson talking like old friends. It made her feel weird. Maybe jealous?
Before Amelia could say anything else, Grayson took her hand and kissed it. Amelia immediately blushed and then swatted him away. “Goodbye Grayson,” she said, turning away from him.
“Goodbye Jac,” Grayson winked at her and Jac winked back. He started to walk away and then looked over his shoulder, almost as if checking to make sure that Amelia was watching him. “See you later Ames,” he said. And with that, he left the coffee shop.
“He is a trouble maker,” Amelia announced, turning back to Jac and still feeling the blush on her cheeks. “I wish he’d leave me alone.”
“Yeah right,” Jac smiled at Amelia. “You definitely do not want him to leave you alone. You have a crush Amelia, admit it.”
Amelia shook her head. Why would she have a crush on Grayson Appleby? He was a trouble maker and he thought he could get whoever he wanted. And the minute he had her he’d probably just go after some other girl anyway.
“Just be careful,” Jac warned. “He seems like an okay guy but he doesn’t have the world’s best reputation. I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”
“Anyway,” Amelia decided to change the subject. “Are you coming to the party this weekend? I really want both you and Sylvie there, it’d mean a lot to me.”
“Yes, I’m going,” Jac rolled her eyes. “Oliver wanted me to work, too, you’re lucky I’m coming. But Sylvie’s been acting kind of weird lately and I want to make sure she stays out of trouble.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” Amelia remembered the night before and how Sylvie had smelled like alcohol. “Have you noticed her drinking at all?”
Shaking her head, Jac replied, “No, but I guess it wouldn’t surprise me. I think she’s been really fighting with herself about the whole drinking thing. That’s partly why I’m worried, I think that once she does make the decision to drink, if she hasn’t already, she may go a little overboard. A frat party definitely isn’t the place for that.”
“Okay, well it’s settled. We’re all going and we’re going to keep an eye out for Sylvie. Aidan will be there too,” Amelia said.
Jac laughed. “Pulling the big brother routine, huh?”
“Yeah and he’s technically not even the big brother,” Amelia laughed.
The two spent bent their heads together, talking about Sylvie, Aidan, Grayson and the upcoming party. And for Amelia, it felt as if the distance between them might just be closing a little.
Now she just had to worry about Sylvie.
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Chapter Three: Sylvie
Sylvie was a good girl and sometimes she really hated in.
In high school, everyone had known about her good girl status. She’d attended parties, sure, but it was more to be a sober cab for her friends and to hang out than it was to drink. She’d been popular with boys too but she was still a virgin and usually she was very proud of it. She didn’t do drugs, didn’t swear and she was an A student.
College made it hard for Sylvie to be good.
The lack of discipline hit her first. There was no one telling her to go to class, to do her homework to really care about anything. She wanted to do well but sometimes it just seemed like such a hassle, especially when there were so many other fun things going on.
Then it was the parties. There had been a ton of them since freshman orientation and they all involved alcohol. So far Sylvie remained good. But with everyone around her drinking it up and having fun Sylvie wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She’d made a vow to herself that she wouldn’t take a drink until she was sure it was what she wanted, not just because of peer pressure. But that pressure was sure pushing down on her these days.
And then there was sex. Sylvie loved hanging out with boys and she’d been on a few dates already but it seemed as if everyone was hooking up. If it wasn’t for her roommates Sylvie was worried that she’d already give in.
Sylvie was a good girl. But for how long?
It was well into the first month of school and Sylvie was just trying to keep her head. This involved constantly reminding herself about the kind of person she was and sticking to the friends she already had. One of those friends being Amelia’s twin brother, Aidan.
In all of Sylvie’s childhood memories Aidan Kinsley was always there. While the girls were a tight knit threesome Aidan managed to make himself apart of their group whenever he could. And when they all began growing up, Aidan found his own group but was like a big brother to Jac and Sylvie, just like he was with Amelia.
The problem was that for as long as she could remember, Sylvie had been in love with Aidan.
“Earth to Sylvie,” Jac sat down across from Sylvie at Wired and waved her hand in front of Sylvie’s face. “You look like you’re a million miles away.”
Sylvie blushed, pushing her thoughts away from Aidan. “Yeah, I guess I was,” she admitted, flipping through Aidan’s speech notebook. She hadn’t been to the glass in a week, which only meant that she’d missed two classes. But she knew that she only got three strikes, so added in with the class she missed the first week she was out. If she missed again the professor was going to start taking points away from her grade.
“Jac!” Oliver Reed stood behind the counter, a huge smile on his face.
He’s cute, Sylvie thought, looking at Jac’s face when he called her name. I wonder why Jac hasn’t made a move for him yet.
Jac stood up. “Guess I’m wanted early,” she said to Sylvie, a smile on her face. “Hey, are you going to that party at the Sigma Nu frat this weekend?”
Sylvie shrugged. Yet another party where drinking would be the main event and hooking up a close second. “I don’t know,” she replied, “I told Amelia I might. You know, I want to support her and all.”
“Same here,” Jac said, grabbing an apron from Oliver and tying it around her waist. “Let me know for sure, I’ll go if you go.”
At that moment, Aidan Kinsley entered the coffee shop. He was a good eight inches taller than Sylvie with the same auburn hair as Amelia’s, which he kept shoulder length. He wore gold rimmed glasses and had the most beautiful green eyes that Sylvie had ever seen.
“Hey Jac!” he called out, “can I just have whatever you’re brewing?”
Jac nodded as she turned to talk to Oliver. Aidan took Jac’s vacated seat and smiled at Sylvie. Sylvie almost melted.
“So when am I ever going to get my notebook back?” Aidan teased Sylvie as he turned to her. “You need to start going to class or you’re going to be in trouble.”
Sylvie swatted him with the notebook before she handed it back to him. “I know, I know,” she said, feeling slightly guilty. “I don’t know what’s up with my alarm clock! I double check it to make sure it’s good and then I end up waking up late.”
Aidan laughed. “You sure you’re not just skipping because you can?” he asked but he was teasing. Sylvie hated that he was right on but he thought she would never do something like that. She hated lying to him.
“So are you going to the Sigma Nu party this weekend?” Sylvie decided to change the subject, hoping that Aidan would just go with it.
With a shrug, Aidan replied, “Yeah, probably. It’s not my scene but I kind of want to look out for Amelia. She seems pretty into this sorority and frat stuff but frankly I can’t figure out why.”
“Yeah, neither can I,” Sylvie replied, telling herself that if Aidan would be there she was definitely going. “Do you want to go over with Jac and me? We were kind of thinking the same thing about Amelia.”
“I’d love to,” Aidan replied, causing Sylvie to immediately feel excitement at the thought of being with Aidan at the party. Maybe Jac would invite Oliver and then she could be alone with Aidan.
“That’s awesome, we could stop by your dorm…”
“Thing is,” Aidan cut Sylvie off and she realized he had more to say, “I have a date with Kailey Johnson that afternoon so I’m not sure what time I’ll be heading over. You should probably just go without me.”
“Kailey Johnson?” Sylvie echoed, her heart dropping. “That cheerleader? I didn’t realize you had a girlfriend.”
“Oh we’re just hanging out right now,” Aidan stood up, signaling that he was about to leave. Sylvie wanted to stop him but wasn’t sure what else to say. It didn’t matter that Aidan was just “hanging out” with Kailey right now; she was gorgeous and funny and perfect for Aidan.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you there then,” Sylvie said softly as Aidan said his goodbyes. She could barely watch him leave the coffee shop, all she really wanted to do was cry.
Whatever, Sylvie thought, standing up and saying goodbye to Jac. Obviously if I want anything to happen with Aidan I just need to step it up a bit. He may be with Kailey in the afternoon but I’ll show him what he’s missing as night.
With that, Sylvie left Wired, eager to begin her plan.
***
That evening, Sylvie came home to an empty suite. Jac had texted her earlier, letting her know that she was working a double at Wired. Lately Amelia was nowhere to be found but Sylvie has a suspicion that she was once again at the Omega Pi sorority house.
Entering the room that Sylvie shared with Amelia, she immediately closed and locked the door. She dumped the contents of the first bag she was carrying onto her bed and immediately stripped down, wanting to try on her purchases.
The outfit itself wasn’t completely extraordinary but it did show a lot of skin, which Sylvie wasn’t know for. She bought a tight, very short jean skirt that she was sure she wouldn’t be able to bend over in. On top she would wear a multi colored plaid tube top and tie up blue flats on her feet.
It was what she planned to wear underneath that she was sure would snag Aidan. The strapless hot pink bra was a push up and that her chest look bigger than it really was. And the barely there matching thong was what Sylvie knew would make him melt. And she planned for him to see all of this. Because she was tired of being a good girl.
In the other bag that Sylvie brought in was a bottle of tequila. The week before Sylvie had gone on a date with a senior that promised if she ever needed anything he’d be there to help her out. Sylvie was pretty sure he meant something other than alcohol but when she’d called him up he was only too happy to oblige.
Sweeping her dark curls into a bun on top of her head, Sylvie surveyed her naked form in the full length mirror for a moment. She put the strapless bra on and then pulled up the tiny thong. Then came the mini skirt, tube top and shoes.
She pulled the bottle of tequila out of its bag, took off the top and took a swig. With a gag, Sylvie tried to swallow and nearly spit the mouthful out. She’d have to try to get used to the stuff by the weekend so she could drink some down before the party, that was for sure.
Taking the clothes off and putting the bottle back in its bag, Sylvie stored everything in the back of her closet, hoping Amelia wouldn’t decide to try to go through her clothes. Then, climbing into bed, Sylvie made sure this time that her alarm was set to go off.
With that, she turned her light out, closed her eyes and dreamed about finally getting to be with Aidan Kinsley.
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Chapter Two: Amelia
The next morning, Amelia found herself taking the long way to the cafeteria. She was irritated with Jac and didn’t want to face her quiet yet.
Since they were little, Amelia, Jac and Sylvie had been inseparable. Amelia always thought of herself as the leader and for the most part that seemed to serve the three well. But since coming to Aldridge Amelia has felt as if they’re pulling apart, especially when it came to Jac.
Amelia didn’t want them to fall apart but a part of her knew that that was what happened when you became an adult. She just didn’t want to lose her best friends.
School, so far, had been almost the same as high school for Amelia only it meant not living at home. She still didn’t feel a need to do much studying, still impressed professors and still felt the need to be noticed. She’d hoped that both Sylvie and Jac would be interested in joining a sorority but that hadn’t gone over well. Jac immediately squashed the idea and Sylvie decided that it wasn’t her thing.
Amelia wasn’t sure if she wanted to join a sorority alone. Would that mean an even bigger gap with her friends?
Entering Minturn Commons, Amelia made her way to the cafeteria where she immediately spotted Jac’s pink hair. “Hey ladies,” she greeted her friends, sitting down and stealing Sylvie’s apple off her tray.
“Hey!” Sylvie yelped, grabbing it back and taking a big bite out of it before Amelia could one more time steal it back. “Go get your own food, missy, I’m starving!” Sylvie put the apple back on her tray and pulled her crazy, curly dark hair into a messy bun on top of her head.
“So did you check out the cat house?” Jac asked, her eyes glued to her laptop. The “cat house” as Jac referred to it, was the Omega Pi sorority house.
“I’m heading over later,” Amelia replied as she watched a slim boy of average height enter the cafeteria. He made his way to the food line and within a second had swiped a few pieces of fruit before taking a seat at a large table filled with girls. The girls immediately scooted closer to him, as if he was a magnet attracting them.
“Ames,” Sylvie waved her hand in front of Amelia’s face. “Hello? Did you hear a word I just said?”
Amelia shook herself and glanced in Sylvie’s direction. “What?” she asked, trying not to turn towards the boy again. “I’m sorry, no.”
“I was asking if you had the notes from speech class, I missed today. I don’t know what’s wrong with my alarm clock but it didn’t go off. I feel like an idiot,” Sylvie was rattling on and Amelia sighed, wanting to pay attention to the boy. He was currently talking up the girls as he slyly pulled a flask from his pocket and took a swig.
“No, Aidan has them,” Amelia explained, referring to her twin brother who also attended Aldridge and lived in one of the co-ed dorms across campus. “You two are exactly alike, his alarm didn’t go off today either! You could probably track him down, though, I think he’s over in the library.”
“Oh good, I was on my way over there anyway!” Sylvie stood up and then picked up her tray, handing the half eaten apple to Amelia as she walked by. “See you guys later!”
Jac continued to type away on her laptop, oblivious, and Amelia took advantage of the situation. She snuck another peek at the guy who at this point stood up, waving goodbye to the girls as he turned to leave. Before she could turn away, the boy caught Amelia’s gaze and smiled.
Quickly, Amelia turned back towards Jac.
“What?” Jac demanded as Amelia stared at her.
“Nothing,” Amelia mumbled, her cheeks as red as her hair. She busied herself with a book she’d brought and prayed the guy didn’t come her way.
Not a chance.
“Were you staring at me?” Amelia heard a deep voice behind her and for a moment she closed her eyes, feeling totally embarrassed. Then she turned around and found herself staring into a pair of slate gray eyes.
“Um,” Amelia started, unsure of what to say. “Yes. No. I mean, yes. No, I mean no…” she stuttered and then closed her mouth. She looked to Jac for help but Jac had her I-pod on and wasn’t paying Amelia the slightest bit of attention.
The boy laughed. “Are you a freshman?” he asked. He was so close that Amelia could smell the alcohol on his breath.
Amelia stood up, decided she didn’t feel the need to be questioned by someone who was drinking well before noon. She said goodbye to Jac, who ignored her, and started to move towards the exit. The boy followed, a smile on his face.
“That’s kind of rude,” he began, putting a hang on her shoulder. “You know, staring at someone and then denying it when they call you out. Are you a natural redhead?”
Whirling around, Amelia glared at him. “Why would you ask me something like that?” she demanded. This boy was getting more and more annoying by the second.
The boy shrugged. “I’ve never dated a redhead before,” he grave her an innocent grin.
“Well, you still aren’t going to,” Amelia pushed past him but sighed as he continued to follow her, the grin still on his face. “What?” she demanded, stopping once more and turning around.
“I’m Grayson Appleby,” he held out his hand and Amelia glared at it.
“Should I be impressed?” Amelia asked. She was tired of this boy playing games with her, whoever he was. So what if he was undeniably cute and that grin had maybe stopped her heart for just a second. He was obviously full of himself as well as most likely being some kind of alcoholic.
Grayson’s grin got bigger. “No, I guess not,” he responded. “Can I at least get your name?”
Shaking her head, Amelia started to walk away and this time Grayson didn’t follow her. “Sorry,” she called over her should. “You want my name, you can work for it.”
With a grin of her own, Amelia headed back to her dorm, feeling Grayson’s eyes on her the entire way.
***
“You said WHAT?” Sylvie squealed later that night. She and Amelia were sitting in their suite’s common room pretending to study. Jac, as usual, was locked away in her room of the suite. The three girls had managed an upperclassmen suite, which usually housed four people but was home to just the three of them. Jac had the smaller room while Sylvie and Amelia shared the bigger one. In the middle was a common room that housed an old couch, small TV and a mini fridge.
“I told him he couldn’t figure it out for himself,” Amelia repeated, a sly grin spreading across her face.
“You do know who Grayson Appleby is, right?” Sylvie demanded.
“Um no,” Amelia replied, “except for the fact that he’s a conceited jerk. That’s the gist of it.”
Sylvie went to their bedroom for a minute and then reappeared with a trashy celebrity magazine. For a moment she flipped through, looking for a page and when she found it she threw it down in front of Amelia.
Picking it up, Amelia was shocked to see a man that looked exactly like what Grayson would look like when he got older. The title read Lowell Appleby: The Last Stand. Quickly skimming the article, Amelia found that Lowell Appleby was in a few westerns as well as a major character on a well known soap opera. And he had a son. Nineteen year old college sophomore Grayson Appleby, said to attend Aldridge College.
“So what?” Amelia asked, throwing the magazine to the floor. “So his dad’s kind of famous. He’s not. And that doesn’t give him the right to harass me.
“You were staring at him, correct?” Sylvie had picked up the magazine and was flipping through it. “So technically you started it.”
Rolling her eyes, Amelia started to retort when Jac walked into the room, her short hair sticking up in every which way and a scowl on her face.
“What’s that look for?” Amelia asked, anxious to get off the subject of Grayson Appleby. “You look like you just got hit by a truck.”
Flopping down on the couch, Jac retorted, “Well thanks a lot. You look lovely too.”
“Well,” Sylvie was still flipping through the magazine, dog earring pages with styles that she liked, “explain.”
“Oh, it’s just these weird comments I’m getting on my blog,” Jac replied. “Someone that kind of seems to know me in real life. But not really. I don’t know, it’s weird.”
“That’s what you get for putting yourself out there,” Amelia tutted. She’d always been a little worried about Jac, who didn’t seem to realize the danger in the information she put out on the web. “You probably have a stalker now.”
Sylvie threw a pillow at Amelia. “Oh shut up Ames!” she cried, giggling. “You’re just mad because you wish Grayson Appleby was stalking you!”
“Hey yeah,” Jac, completely forgetting her own problems, turned on Amelia. “I wasn’t paying much attention but I thought that’s who he was! Gray, the guy talking to you in the caf. Did he ask you out or something?”
“Oh gosh!” Amelia groaned. She didn’t need Jac getting on her case, Sylvie was bad enough. “He caught me looking at him,” she explained to Jac. “It was nothing, just him thinking he could hit on a freshman and make her swoon.”
Jac laughed. “Well, you were practically swooning today,” she said, making Sylvie laugh too. “He’s cute and he’s Grayson Appleby. If he asked me out I’d say yes.”
“Oh you would not,” now Amelia was getting annoyed. “He doesn’t have multiple piercings and tattoos, he’s not punk enough for you. “
“And anyway,” Sylvie threw in, “he’s a huge trouble maker. A real bad boy. I heard he slept through the entire freshman class last year. Well, the girls anyway. And he’s a major pothead and drinks like a fish.”
Amelia nodded. “He was definitely drinking in the caf today. He had an honest to God flask.”
“But you’re still intrigued,” Jac pointed out. “I know that look Ames. Despite all that you kind of like him. But if he’s that kind of guy maybe you should be careful.”
“Jac’s right,” Sylvie stood up and stretched. “Okay, I need to go to sleep, hopefully even if my alarm doesn’t work my internal clock will.”
“I’m right behind you,” Amelia murmured as Jac also stood and said goodnight, telling them she had some blog work to do before going to sleep.
After the other girls closed the doors, Amelia picked up the magazine and flipped back to the article on Lowell Appleby. It was a three page article and on the second page was a small picture of Grayson. And you couldn’t deny it. He was more than a little good looking.
With a sigh, Amelia tossed the magazine to the ground. Who’d want to be just another notch in Grayson’s bedpost anyway?
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Chapter One: Jac
Jac
It was the first day of classes and, as usual, Jac was running late. She never meant for this to happen, of course, but once she got sucked into the world of her blog and other blog writers she tended to forget what the time was. Today, for example, she’d been reading a blog written by a girl in Australia. The next thing Jac knew it was five minutes till two and she had exactly those five minutes to raise across campus for her introduction to sociology class.
Racing to class, Jac could hear her cell phone in her bag, letting her know that she had incoming text messages. Jac rolled her eyes, knowing that it had to be her friends telling her that she’d be late if she didn’t book it NOW!
“I know, I know,” Jac muttered and broke into a sprint, praying she’d beat the clock.
Four minutes and fifty seven seconds later Jac was sitting in the seat her friends had saved for her, breathing heavy and sweating but still there before the professor arrived.
“You are one lucky girl,” one of Jac’s best friends, Sylvie Devereux whispered at a short, balding man walked into the room.
“What happened to that watch I gave you for your birthday?” asked Amelia Kinsley, Jac’s other best friend. Jac glared at Amelia and sat back, wishing again that she hadn’t lost the pocket watch sometime during her move into the dorms.
The previous week Jac, Amelia and Sylvie had started their college journey together. The girls had known each other since elementary school and when the time came to pick colleges in their junior year they decided to stay together and attend Aldridge College, which was only forty miles away from their hometown of Bartlett Grove.
In the past week they’d gone through freshmen orientation, which consisted of them getting settled into their suit, going on campus tours, checking out different clubs and figuring out everything that Aldrige College had to offer. Now, a week later, they were ready for college classes, complete with more homework than they’d ever thought was possible.
In her first class, Jac found that she was already having a hard time concentrating. Unlike her friends, Jac needed to find a job to help pay for things she would need while away at school; her mother could only handle so much and Jac had promised to help chip in. Until she found a job Jac knew she’d be strapped for cash and she didn’t like that feeling.
The fifty minute sociology class seemed to take forever and when the professor finally let them go, Jac bolted out of her seat.
“Hey!” Sylvie cried, grabbing Jac’s arm, “What’s the rush? Amelia and I wanted to take you out for coffee, sort of a first day of classes celebration. We were thinking of maybe going to Wired rather than the caf.”
“I really shouldn’t,” Jac ran her hands through her short, bubblegum pink hair nervously. “I need to find a job, like, yesterday. I can barely afford Ramen noodles at this point!”
Amelia came up on Jac’s other side. “Nope, you can take a break from job hunting and come have coffee with us. My treat.”
Jac sighed. She hated when Amelia offered to “treat.” Amelia’s family, unlike Jac’s, had all the money they could ever ask for. While Jac knew that Amelia was just trying to be nice, Jac hated asking for favors and handouts even from her best friends. “I really can’t,” she told Amelia.
“Yes, you can,” together Amelia and Sylvie steered Jac towards Wired, a coffeehouse just off campus. Originally a small house, Wired was a favorite hangout spot for Aldridge students as well as some of the younger faculty at Aldridge. Amelia and Sylvie had already been there multiple times in the last week while Jac was locked in their suite or out job hunting.
Together, the three girls entered the coffeehouse and looked around. It was relatively quiet with only a few students tucked away in corners on their laptops.
“Grab some seats,” Amelia ordered, flipping back her rust colored hair and walking to the counter. Jac rolled her eyes. She loved Amelia but sometimes got tired of being bossed around. Amelia hadn’t even asked what she wanted to drink. Then again, beggars couldn’t be choosers.
A moment later Amelia joined them. “Did you guys see that Omega Pi is having a rush week soon?” she asked as she sat down. She immediately pulled a table close and propped her feet against it, displaying her perfect pedicured toes. “I was thinking that might be fun.”
Jac wrinkled her nose. A sorority? That definitely wasn’t her style. “I don’t know Ames,” she began just as Sylvie cut in, “That’s an awesome idea! Oh we’d have so much fun!”
“Three medium skim sugar free vanilla lattes!”
Jac jumped up at the sound of the drinks that Amelia always ordered. “I’ll get them!” she said, turning away from the sorority conversation. Sometimes she couldn’t believe Amelia. Throughout their entire friendship Amelia had always been the boss and Jac was sick of it. She wanted college to be different. She wanted to drink espresso straight, not the crap that Amelia forced down her throat. She wanted to meet people who loved her creativity, not be around a bunch of sorority girls. As much as she loved Sylvie and Amelia sometimes they made her feel so…
So…
Stifled.
“Thanks,” Jac said absentmindedly, not looking at the man behind the bar.
“No problem,” his deep voice made Jac raise her eyes and when she did she felt her cheeks grow warm. He was gorgeous! He was at least a foot taller than Jac, if not more, which short, dark hair, big brown eyes and beautiful almost golden skin. He smiled at Jac and immediately she spilled one of the lattes she was holding.
“Oh my gosh!” Jac exclaimed, stepping back so that the coffee didn’t land on her. “Oh no! I’m so sorry!”
The man, or more of a guy her own age, grabbed a few white rags and began mopping up the puddle that Jac left on the counter. “It’s fine,” he laughed as Jac continued to babble on in horror. “Happens all the time.”
Jac could hear Amelia and Sylvie laughing behind her and tried to push them out of her head. Despite looking like a total idiot, this boy was cute and she wanted to keep talking to him. She took one of the dry rags from the counter and began to help, figuring it was the least she could do.
“Thanks,” the boy said when she was done. “Hang on a second and I’ll make you a new one.”
Taking the other two lattes to her friends, Jac glared at both of them, a warning to keep their mouths shut if they knew what was good for them. She then turned back to the counter where the boy was making her a new latte.
“Again, I’m so sorry,” she said, mentally rolling her eyes at herself. “I’m not nearly that klutzy.”
The boy laughed. “What’s your name?” he asked as he wiped the steam wand he was using.
“Jac,” she glanced down at the floor, blushing furiously again.
“Funny name for a girl,” he replied, pouring the steamed milk into a cup that held hot shots of espresso.
“Well, it’s Jaclyn, Jaclyn Roemer. But I’m Jac to my friends.”
The boy put a lid of her cup and set it on the counter. He held out his hand he Jac shook it, a smile lighting up her face.
“I’m Oliver Reed,” he told her. “And you better be careful with that one!”
Jac laughed, suddenly feeling much more at ease. “Do you go to school on campus?” she asked, wondering exactly how old he was.
Oliver nodded. “Yeah, I’m a freshman,” he explained. “I assume you must be too?”
With a nod, Jac played with her short hair, “Yeah, I room with my two best friends in one of the suites in Reynolds Hall. We somehow managed to score a four person suite even though there’s four of us.” Jac turned and pointed out Amelia and Sylvie, who weren’t paying any attention to her anymore.
“Ah, I’m from town,” Oliver explained. “Hence the reason I managed to snag a job that most incoming students would kill for.”
Jac sighed, remembering that she was still without a job. “I’m jealous,” she explained her problem. “I honestly feel like I’m never going to find anything.
Oliver leaned in closer and Jac could smell a mixture of coffee and cinnamon.
“You know,” he said, another smile lighting up his face and making Jac feel slightly faint, “you should apply here. I’d put in a good word for you.”
For the first time all day Jac felt as if maybe things wouldn’t be all that bad. She immediately imagined working side by side with Oliver, getting to know him as he felt more and more in love with her. It’d be so easy! And at the end of it she’d have a fun job and maybe a cute boyfriend.
“That’d be great!” Jac chirped a little too loudly, causing Amelia and Sylvie to glance at her, grins on their faces.
Oliver wrote down a website, explaining that the application was online. Under that, he wrote down an email address and told her that it was his and to let him know when she’d submitted the application.
“Thanks so much,” Jac glanced over her shoulder, knowing that any minute now Amelia would announce it was time to go.
“My pleasure,” Oliver, again all smiles, turned at the sound of the bell over the door.
Sensing it was time to say goodbye, Jac turned. “Hopefully I’ll see you around,” she heard Oliver say and she blushed, wondering if maybe her luck had finally turned.
***
“So who was that?” Sylvie asked as the girls headed back to their suite to begin homework for the evening.
“Just some guy,” Jac willed herself not to blush, wanting to keep Olive a secret, at least for a little while. “He said they’re hiring, I’m going to fill out the application online tonight.”
“Well it’s definitely worth it to work with a guy like that!” Amelia exclaimed. “Yum! Maybe I should apply there too!”
For a moment Jac bristled, until she reminded herself that Amelia wouldn’t last one day making someone else’s coffee. Pulling open the front door of Reynolds Hall, Jac smiled to herself, keeping her fingers crossed that by the end of the week she’d have a new job.
And maybe a prospect with a new boy.
Filed under: Jac | 4 Comments
